The Trouble with Toyotas: $100M saved applying “cheap” floor mat fix

By John LeBlanc Toyota President Akio Toyoda ’s appearance this week in Washington to defend his company’s actions on the unintended acceleration crisis isn’t getting off to a great start. A newly released internal Toyota document claims the Japanese automaker saved more than $100 million (U.S.) by convincing U.S. safety officials to end a 2007 investigation of unintended acceleration complaints with only a floor mat recall instead of a potentially more costly mechanical fix. "Unfortunately, this document is very telling," said U.S. Department of Transportation spokeswoman Olivia Alair in an e-mailed statement reported in Automotive News. The document also seems to contradict Toyota Canada’s claims in an interview with The Star’s Tony Van Alphen last week. Defending the automaker’s strategies as it recalled more than 8.5 million vehicles globally in recent months for problems including sticky accelerators, accelerators that can be pinned down by loose floor mats and a braking problem affecting hybrid models, including its Prius, Stephen Beatty, Toyota Canada's managing director said that Toyota had addressed its problems “properly and quickly.” As you know, U.S. government officials believe five deaths in the U.S. are associated with floor mats and are reviewing up to 29 other fatality reports to see if they are related to unintended acceleration. Does Toyota’s newly found backroom dealings change your view of the automaker? Or do you feel the Japanese company is no better or worse than any other automaker in trying to avoid expensive recalls? [Source: Automotive News]The Trouble with Toyotas: $100M saved applying “cheap” floor mat fix

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